Argentina sets out conditions for 1st transmission grid PPP project

July 12 (Renewables Now) - The Argentine government has just outlined the tender terms for the first high-voltage power transmission line under the new Public Private Participation (PPP) scheme.

The document, prepared by the Ministries of Finance and Energy, gives the contractual structure for the 490-km (304.5 mile), 500-kV Rio Diamante-Charlone line in the central part of the country.

The text is non-binding and may be altered, the Ministry noted.

The current version says applicants in the tender must have experience in the construction of substations and power lines of over 300 kV, acquired either in Argentina or abroad.

Transmission projects must be up and running within 33 months from the signing of a PPP contract while operation and maintenance services will be provided for up to 15 years.

According to Escenarios Energéticos 2030, energy scenarios published by the energy ministry in December 2017, Argentina expects to add between 14 GW and 18 GW of unconventional renewable energy capacity and reach 25% generation from unconventional renewables by 2030.

To accommodate this growth and reinforce the transmission system in the short term, the government planned to tender seven 500-kV line projects totaling 2,175 km and representing an investment of USD 2.2 billion (EUR 1.9 bn), a January 2018 booklet by the Agencia Argentina de Inversiones y Comercio Internacional (AAICI), shows.